PacifiCorp to invest another $100 million in wind

PacifiCorp plans to invest another $100 million to expand its existing wind generation in the hills near Dayton, Wash. as it pushes to meet newly enacted renewable energy mandates in Oregon and Washington.

Also Tuesday, the Bonneville Power Administration said it had reached a 20-year agreement to purchase 50 megawatts of capacity from PPM Energy's Klondike III wind project near Wasco, Ore. The purchase will increase BPA's renewable capacity by roughly 25 percent.

PacifiCorp's Marengo II wind farm will comprise 39 turbines with a capacity of 70.2 megawatts. The actual output of the facility is less than its nameplate capacity due to the intermittent nature of wind. The project will generate enough energy to power about 18,000 homes.

Pacific Power's Marengo I wind farm began commercial operation in August with 140.4 megawatts of capacity. That project came on top of its 100.5-megawatt Leaning Juniper 1 wind project near Arlington, Ore., which went into commercial operation last September. Besides Marengo II, PacifiCorp has also unveiled plant to build two new wind projects in Wyoming.